92. Free public schools
People have been saying the system is in crisis since its inception over 200 years ago, but our nation’s public schools are some of the finest and have set the bar for education innovation throughout the world.

93. Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand
May we recommend the Original Frozen Banana?

94. Victoria’s Secret
Taking lingerie out of the shadows since 1977.

95. Game of Thrones
Winter is coming, and so is book six and season four of this epic fantasy.

96. Zombie movies
Critiques of American society or just scary movies? Both.

97. Maya Angelou
She knows why the caged bird sings.

98. 40 Watt Club
No longer just lit by a 40 watt bulb, this Athens, Ga., institution gave a start to R.E.M., the B-52’s and others.

100 great things about America

“I am an American … and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way….” Saul Bellow’s Augie March was speaking on behalf of the millions of Americans who have insisted on dictating the terms of engagement for their own lives. These hardy Americans — both natives and newcomers — have not relented to the powerful winds of history; they have fashioned their own destinies. These are the Americans that bounce back and bound forward. Indeed, they know the power of a comeback, which is the first item on Fortune’s fourth annual list of 100 great things about America. (We, meanwhile, are still going full speed toward our goal of compiling 1,000 marvelous things about the U.S. of A.) As we prepare for our July 4 holiday, we highlight those wonderful, unique people, places, products, and ideas that give American life its special spirit, or its moxie (No. 3). Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

This year’s rules were the same as the previous years': only the living can make the cut, and no repeats from past installments. Many thanks go to this year’s crop of Fortune interns for their help: Lily Cohen, Preston Cooper, Craig Giammona, Varun Nayar, Sameepa Shetty, Brandon Southward, and Andres Vaamonde.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, we give you this year’s 100 great things about America.

12. The Rockefeller Family
The towering bloodline is synonymous with oil, power, and New York City, but its legacy includes Colonial Williamsburg, MoMA, Acadia and Grand Teton National Parks — and much more.

13. Caterpillar
When you stick your neck out to gawk at a construction site on the highway, notice it’s always Cat CAT machinery?

FORTUNE — Though our affection for America is a year-round phenomenon, summer seems to make the heart and mind grow even fonder. Holidays contribute to this: Memorial Day ushers in the season, followed soon after by our Uncle Sam’s favorite, July Fourth. Getting out into the great outdoors also kindles nation-love, as only a visit to national parks like Yellowstone or the Great Smoky Mountains can do. So, too, does the food of summer: grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, corn on the cob, and blueberry pie on a brimming picnic table. So we think it only fitting to present to you our second annual list of 100 Great Things About America as the summer season officially kicks off.

The list reflects our sensibility here at Fortune. Yes, it’s heavy on business (see Warren Buffett, No. 30, and even Exxon Mobil XOM, at No. 88), but it also includes NASCAR, No. 51, as well as Carlos Santana and Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, sitting next to each other at 19 and 20. We have a soft spot for fast cars, virtuoso guitar players, and a nip of fine bourbon, among other indulgences, but many of these manifestations of Americana happen to be shining commercial success stories too. (Did you know that Santana recently opened a chain of Mexican restaurants named Maria Maria and has his own line of women’s shoes?)

Why only 100 great things, you might ask? Of course there are many more than that, which is why we decided that this year’s list wouldn’t include any from last year’s tally. That’s why you won’t see Mount Rushmore (last year’s No 4). We’re also not including any deceased persons, so, much as we love them, no Abe Lincoln, M.L.K., or Joe DiMaggio (or maybe Ted Williams for Red Sox Nation). Actually, I think we should do the list for eight more years so we end up with a mega-list of 1,000 Great Things About America. I don’t imagine we’ll have any problem finding that many, do you?

This exercise may seem to fly right in the teeth of the national zeitgeist, as there’s more concern than celebration about America right now. All the more reason for doing it, I say. Yes, we face unprecedented challenges, but focusing solely on those vexing issues is not only misdirected but actually dangerous. And the optimists’ case isn’t just pie in the sky. In his new book, The Next American Economy: Blueprint for a Real Recovery, author William J. Holstein shows that made in america is still very much alive. He points out that many U.S. companies, like Caterpillar CAT (No. 13) and Boeing BA (its 747 is No. 29), have done a remarkable job navigating through, and succeeding in, the new global economy. He cites cities like San Diego for genomics, Pittsburgh for robotics, and Cleveland for electronics as hubs of world-class innovation. And he points out that higher wages mean China no longer offers a wide cost advantage for manufacturers.

To be sure, Holstein writes, we need a better model for cooperation among business, academia, and government, but we are far from a gloom-and-doom starting point. As Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in Democracy in America, “The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.” We will surely be putting that to the test in the coming years. But for now, please take time to celebrate some of our greatness and think about how each of these entries contributes to the tangible and intangible success and well-being of America.